Born to Expire is the debut album by New York City band Leeway. It was recorded in November 1987. Delays postponed its release to January 1989 – jointly on Rock Hotel and Profile Records. It was followed up by Desperate Measures in 1991. In 1996, Another Planet re-issued the album on the same CD as Desperate Measures.
Overview
Lyrically and vocally, Leeway were firmly rooted in the hardcore punk genre as could also be seen by the company they chose to keep – Corrosion of Conformity, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, Sick of It All and Prong to name but a few. Musically, however, it was most definitely metal and a compromise label of thrash/crossover was achieved but still left a few questions unanswered. In truth, many fans of both genres had their likes and dislikes – even between songs.
Guitarist and songwriter, A.J. Novello, had this to say on the dichotomy caused by this album:
(the album) came out and surprised everyone because it was totally metallic sounding... (it) re-wrote the book on New York hardcore. Leeway just about killed{the} "hardcore"sound because we used heavy guitar sounds and spent time on actual tones and textures instead of throwing things together haphazardly." [3]
Most of the songs are played at thrash metal pace but at hardcore punk-style track lengths. The band even had time to experiment with rap and funk on "Catholic High School".
Guitarist Michael Gibbons spoke about the album's signature guitar sound:
You really can't beat a Marshall JCM800 for a guitar amplifier. It's just that simple and truthful. We experimented with lots of tones, re-positioning the cabinets, mic placements, etc. Having Tom Soares as the album's engineer, him knowing his studio so well, was also a huge help. In terms of the guitars, I used a Gibson Les Paul Custom with a Seymour Duncan custom pickup, and A.J. used his Gibson SG.[4]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Eddie Sutton and A.J. Novello, except where noted
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Rise and Fall" (Sutton, Novello, Ackerman)
3:54
2.
"Mark of the Squealer"
3:40
3.
"Be Loud"
2:18
4.
"On the Outside"
3:25
5.
"Defy You"
3:09
6.
"Enforcer"
3:48
7.
"Tools for War"
3:08
8.
"Born to Expire"
4:07
9.
"Marathon"
2:14
10.
"Self Defense"
1:25
11.
"Catholic High School (Girls in Trouble)"
2:01
12.
"Unexpected"
4:35
Credits
Eddie Sutton – vocals
A.J. Novello – guitar
Michael Gibbons – guitar
Zowie – bass
Tony Fontão – drums
Recorded in November 1987 at Normandy Sound, Warren, Rhode Island
